Book Review: The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver

 

One night when Liza went to bed, Patrick was her chubby, stubby, candy-grubbing and pancake-loving younger brother, who irritated and amused her both, and the next morning, when she woke up, he was not. In fact, he was quite, quite different.
When Liza's brother, Patrick, changes overnight, Liza knows exactly what has happened: The spindlers have gotten to him and stolen his soul.
She knows, too, that she is the only one who can save him.
To rescue Patrick, Liza must go Below, armed with little more than her wits and a broom. There, she uncovers a vast world populated with talking rats, music-loving moles, greedy troglods, and overexcitable nids . . . as well as terrible dangers. But she will face her greatest challenge at the spindlers' nests, where she encounters the evil queen and must pass a series of deadly tests—or else her soul, too, will remain Below forever. (Description from http://www.amazon.com)

My thoughts:

I am a big fan of Lauren Oliver, with Before I Fall one of my favorite YA books. I am also eagerly awaiting the third book in the Delirium series (Delirium, Pandemonium).  I had heard good things about The Spindlers and put it on my must read list.  This book is a fantasy novel for middle grade readers. I enjoyed it immensely, and I am not a huge fantasy fan. 

This book begs to be read aloud. Lauren's descriptions are vivid and real. Her creatures are fun, sometimes a little scary and have human-like emotions, causing the main character Liza to deal with things like friendship and betrayal.  There are quite a few twists and turns in the plot which will make you want to read "just one more chapter." I am sure it would make a great film.

If you are looking for a middle grade fantasy with a strong heroine, descriptive writing, and adventure, put this one on your list!